The March for the Lone Star
Background The tales of Charles Walker and how he began the Texas Rangers are legendary in themselves. Folklore and whispers have turned honest truths into grand tales to rival even pre-War fantastical epics, and the figure of unity and camaraderie that has become Charles Walker is more known even to the Texas Rangers than the actual man himself. Born in Fort Stockton to little more than farmers, Charles Walker made a choice early in his life to ensure no others would be born into a world so full of fear. He was raised in a town where the life expectancy rarely went above thirty, and raids were as common as the wind. It was in this town that he sowed the seeds of the Texas Rangers. Organising other able-bodied and like-minded men and women, Charles Walker made sure to cement the safety of Fort Stockton however he could. At some point, Charles Walker and his associates made the choice to leave Fort Stockton in hopes of reaching out to the people of the Wasteland. The journey, which would define the Texas Rangers as they are now known, became known as the March for the Lone Star. The March for Lone Star The March for the Lone Star began in Fort Stockton, whereupon a group of no more than twelve men and women armed poorly and aged under twenty-three set out to make their way. Many tell the story that Charles Walker intended to bring law to the wasteland, while others believe it was little more than a chance for him to see what state the wasteland was in, and if he even needed to help at all. Traversing the US-67 Route, Charles Walker led his team as far as they could at any given time. Stops for rest and water were common, and it was during this long dry travel through the dunes that Andrew Tyler dubbed the party the Walker Rangers. Many people claim that this leg of the march was intentionally designed to lead the Walker Rangers into the territory of the Concho Cluster Gang. Detractors state that Charles Walker and his group had no knowledge of the raiders within the distant city ruins, though this has not diminished the relevance of the theory. The arrival of the Walker Rangers was met with hostility, prompting the Concho Cluster Skirmish. The Concho Cluster Gang and the Walker Rangers kept to irregular fighting for the better part of a week, before the Walker Rangers, unscathed at this point, made an assault on the gangs base in Fort Concho. Though the surviving gangsters chose to surrender, Charles Walker and his team executed each of them. A small patrol had not been at the base at the time, and when they realised what had happened, were quick to spread the word. Charles Walker and his team made sure to take anything of value from Fort Concho and the raiders. Superior arms and armour were of immediate benefit, while food and medicines ensured they had less trouble in the next portion of their travel. Continuing to travel along US-67 Route for days at a time, members of the group began to dissent at the idea of following the highway further; no major locations had been present on the route at this point, and Charles was quick to abide their wishes. Carbon This decision led the Walker Rangers into Carbon, a small farming town. The Carbon Conundrum, as it would be called, occured when Charles Walker offered the town protection and safety, only to be declined. When the town later came to the Walker Rangers for assistance, it was too late to provide any sort of substantial assistance, and the Walker Rangers were united in the decision to only provide help in future to any towns that would actively welcome it. Many people claim that Charles Walker and his group left Carbon on good terms after defeating the raiders there. Residents in Carbon hold a grudge to the Texas Rangers to this day, though few speak about why, and few Rangers would ever speak highly of the settlement. The Walker Rangers were at a point of self-doubt as to whether their expedition was still worth investing in. Lucile Washington, one of Charles Walkers associates on the march, made a point to speak to travellers near Carbon, most notably about their expedition and where they should go. It was because of this that the Walker Rangers would travel south, towards the town of Fredericksburg. Dunes and Fredericksburg More days were spent in the dune now than at any prior point in the journey. It was during this travel that the Walker Rangers encountered a number of wasteland creatures face-to-face, most notable dune wolves and morrigans. Though many creatures had been observed, the Walker Rangers had found themselves free of contact with them while remaining close to a single main roadway. Though some say Charles Walker had a deep love for the wilderness, it is not known if he was merciful when forced to combat the territorial and aggressive beasts. Arrival in Fredericksburg is said to have been the same as San Angelo. Initial aggression turned into a full-blown combat operation, with the Skirmish at Fredericksburg becoming one of the most talked about encounters at the time due to the rapidity with which the Walker Rangers dispatched nearly five times as many raiders. This battle ensured the Walker Rangers were able to account for previous losses with new supplies. This was also the point at which the Walker Rangers pilfered the National Museum of the Pacific War for uniforms that would later inspire the uniform of the Ranger-Generals. After their time in Fredericksburg, the Walker Rangers made the decision to continue south. Upon arrival on the I-10, the Walker Rangers decided to adhere to the main road, with the nearby city of San Antonio marked as their destination. Finally, after two more days travel, the Walker Rangers arrived in the decimated city. San Antonio Much of the town's inhabitants were squatters, scavenging from the ruins of the large city. The nuclear warheads that had struck San Antonio had resulted in a wide array of issues, including a strong mutant presence and unpredictable hazards. With most of the city reduced to a maze of debris and shattered towers, the Walker Rangers travelled for as long as they could, in the hopes of finding something to make their travels worthwhile. Many of the Rangers still disagreed with Charles Walker at this point, and felt settling down here would be the best course of action. Much of the Walker Rangers time in San Antonio was spent mapping out the many tunnels and hovels that made up the bizarre passageways through the ruined landscape. This meant that most of the city was unseen from the outside, and Andrew Tyler would go on to recall how little he enjoyed his time in San Antonio. These troubles would go on to be part of the reason for the Texas Rangers establishment of an outpost in the city proper after Charles Walker's’ death, though many tales are told that Charles Walker himself had half his men occupy what would become the Texas Rangers San Antonio Outpost. The Massacre at the Alamo Much of the southwestern region of San Antonio was occupied by various raiding and territorial tribal parties, with most scavengers avoiding anything east of the I-35 for their own safety. When the Walker Rangers made it to a hub of activity known as Alamo, Charles Walker and his team quickly eliminated any parties in the area and occupied the old fort, using it as a forward base. Many people retell this tale with disputed statements; some say that rather than an unprovoked attack, Charles Walker and his team countered a hostile tribe, occupying the ruin and forcing anyone in the area to flee. Others claim that the attack was spontaneous, and either unjustified or a pre-emptive strike. Most tribals avoid the old ruins to this day out of respect of the massacre that occurred there. Walker Rangers-Cutler Conflict From this point, the Walker Rangers began to cripple gangs and aggressive tribes in the region, destabilizing leadership structures and intercepting runners whenever they were able. This also gave them information on Fort Sam Houston, a local military base that had become the headquarters of the Cutlers, a gang of aggressive thieves and brigands. The Walker Rangers-Cutler conflict would engulf the Walker Rangers for nearly three weeks, as they systematically destroyed the gang and its leaders. The squatters and settlers of San Antonio began calling them Walker’s Texas Rangers, a name that the group adopted. After both the Massacre at the Alamo and the Rangers-Cutler conflict, Walker’s Texas Rangers began to turn into folk heroes. Word travelled along the I-35 as far as Shibalba, and even spread to the Copperton-Big Brown region. No other organisations had proven this effective as a structured law enforcement in Texas, and the arrival of what would become the Texas Rangers was welcomed across much of the commonwealth. The Battle of La Bahia Further travels south would eventually lead Walker’s Texas Rangers to the ruins of Goliad, where they would find Presidio La Bahia, a large fortified structure, occupied by a large force of slavers. Not unlike their efforts the at the Alamo, Charles Walker and his Texas Rangers made to liberate the fortress, beginning the Battle of La Bahia, which would go on for hours until the last of the slavers surrendered to the smaller, more organised and strategic party. Some claims state that Charles Walker initially wanted to execute the slavers there and then. Janice Samson, a well-spoken member of Walker’s Texas Rangers, levied that it should be up to the slaves what happens to their captors. Upon freeing the captives, it was decided that the slavers would be given quick executions. Some of the Texas Rangers believed it would be beneficial to bring the freed slaves with them, and though Charles Walker opposed it initially, he would end up inviting the slaves to travel with them. Most of the slaves chose to travel, nearly doubling the number of Walker’s Texas Rangers. Other stories say that it was Charles Walker, not Janice Samson, who wanted to hear the slaves opinions on the execution. Some versions even say that Janice herself was the one looking to commit a mass-execution of surrendered enemies. Most stories also claim that Charles Walker was begged to allow the slaves to join him, and only did so out of reluctance once he was sure they knew the danger they would expose themselves to. After the Battle of La Bahia, Walker’s Texas Rangers were a large enough force that most patrols and creatures avoided them. The slaves, who lived in the eastern coastal region of Texas, were also key in sending Charles Walker and his team to Galveston Island, which they said could be the best place to establish a foothold in the region. The Liberation of Galveston The journey to Galveston, which would be one of the longest stretches of the March for the Lone Star, ended when Walker’s Texas Rangers arrived in Texas City, near the old causeway into the island. Poorly defended, the small city ruins were no challenge for the larger group of Rangers, who chose to make camp and coordinate a plan of attack near the causeway entrance. The eventual attack, known now as the Liberation of Galveston, would end up taking nearly six months. In the end, Walker’s Texas Rangers, now going simply by the Texas Rangers, had managed to eliminate every last bandit, raider, and other violent criminal on the island. Charles Walker gave in and chose to settle here, establishing the headquarters for the Texas Rangers from that point on.